Hi.

Mar 1 Clearly A Man Designed This Place.

I just got home from the fertility doctor (in 21 days (ish) we will transfer our blastocyst assuming it survives the thaw) and I have to admit that I am always a bit annoyed when I walk out of that place. I love our doctor, love the location, love the facility and I am very happy with our current plan. What I don't love? The fact that the Fertility Center is located smack in the middle of the OB portion of the building. Like RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE. Who goes to the OB? Pregnant women. Lots and lots and lots of pregnant women. Who doesn't *love* pregnant women? Infertile women. Yeah, clearly a man designed this place.

Who else would think that it would be an enjoyable experience for an "infertile" to be surrounded in line, such as I was today, by 10 (yes 1o) noticeably pregnant women? It's not that I have anything against them and I have been to the place so many times that it doesn't even phase me when I see them anymore. I just think that perhaps it is not necessary for me to swim in the fertile sea and then be dragged back into my little infertility hole. If your going to give me a sip of wine, can't I just have the whole damn bottle? Oh, and the 4 foot partition that runs 1/4 of the room doesn't really hide the fact that we are not one of them, it just makes it harder to glare from across the room, not that I would ever do that (insert sarcasm here.)

The funny thing is that even when I was on the other side of that faux wall I thought the same thing. When I was pregnant with my little man I was one of those happy full bellied women. I would sit on my "side" and watch all of the couples going into the little fertility office and I would find myself guessing what their situation was. Obviously I was blissfully unaware of the world of infertility but I remember how cruel it felt to sit there and rub my belly while someone who was having trouble conceiving had to watch. Even worse when I miscarried with baby number two the ultrasound rooms were full of still pregnant women, so I was ushered through the fertile section and was paraded in front of everyone until an infertile room opened up. Awesome.

Maybe one of these days (when I am no longer in need of their fertile or infertile services) I will write to the folks over at Harvard Vanguard and let them know that the next time they design a medical facility perhaps they should make sure that a woman is in charge. I have a hard time believing that a woman (even a childless one) would make such a poor choice in planning.